If you’ve read my wrap up of Wednesday or Thursday of Comic-Con, you know that I went to this year’s Comic-Con without much of a schedule or an agenda.

This freed up my time to spend with other folks, without feeling like I was missing anything at the convention.

This is really the theme of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con for me, the people I spent time with. In fact, when I look back at this year’s con, what I remember is the time spent with my friends, walking around the con, grabbing lunch or dinner after the con, hanging out after the con, etc.

That is the greatest value of Comic-Con, so many like-minded people go, meet, get together, and have a great time.

When I arrived at the con on Friday, I met an amigo or two, and walked around the con for a bit.

If you want to know more about the 8-bit variant covers from Valiant, go listen to this interview now!

Trading Card Sighting

Valiant Trading Card Preview Pack

While recording the episode, we randomly met a new fan of Valiant comics, who happened to be walking by while wearing a Valiant hat. We started talking to him, and he joined us for our round table discussion of the convention in the latter half of Episode 111. We also learned that there were preview packs of the new Valiant Trading Cards around the con, so that was our immediate next step. All of our friends that gathered for our round table discussion headed over to the booth selling the packs, and we went to town, we each bought one.

The packs contain 8 cards from the upcoming trading card set, and a special ninth sketch card, with a hand-drawn sketch by one of Rittenhouse’s artists. There are 500 individually numbered packs of these preview cards, I purchased number 28. The lowest number pack that the dealer had was number two, but he could not be talked out of it, despite how we tried. The sketch card I received in my pack is below.

X-O Manowar Sketch Card

Signings And Sights

James Asmus signing at the CBLDF booth, with the original art to the Q&W variant by Tony Millionaire

I didn’t go to any panels, or specific signings, or any other events that afternoon.

I did manage to make it back to the CBLDF fund booth, where James Asmus was signing copies of the Variant edition of Quantum & Woody. In a nice confluence of events, Tony Millionaire, the cover artist for the CBLDF variant, was signing at the Fantographics booth one aisle over from the CBLDF booth, and I was able to get my copy signed by both James and Tony.

Also, James had the original cover art for the CBLDF variant, which Tony Millionaire had given to him earlier that afternoon.

Check out James with that art in the pic to the right!

It is definitely a unique cover, and shows that Valiant is interested in doing cool stuff, and working with folks that may be outside of the usual mainstream norm of the comics world.

At the park next to the Bayfront Hilton, which is right next to Hall H of the con, there is always some sort of great display. Last year, it was Batmobiles, this year there were some Teen Titans cartoon displays, and this majestic bit of construction, the lego Hobbiton:

Lego Bag End

After Lego Hobbiton, it was back to the convention center.

I walked the convention that afternoon with my girlfriend, who had arrived in town for the evening, and made most of my purchases from the weekend. The best time, after all, to purchase 50 pounds worth of books is right before you leave to walk back to your hotel room. I’ll get into the purchases more when I get to Saturday and my Con wrap up.

Poker/Trivia Night

Last of all, trivia and poker night.

Oh, yes, one of the highlights of the con.

Every year, folks from the ValiantFans.com message board get together for an evening of poker, Valiant trivia, beer, pizza, and whatever other shenanigans we can come up with.

This is always the highlight of the con, and every year it seems there are more and more of us attending, including some of the folks that work at Valiant Entertainment. It is always a fun evening.

When I started writing this article, I wrote “Friday Wrapup”. That should give you an idea what Con is like.

In fact, by the end of the night, it felt like like it was Saturday night of a typical Con. That’s One thing about Comic-Con, it is a a marathon, not a sprint. It lasts and lasts and lasts, and each day is very long. If you race to do too much in one day, you can burn out and get exhausted, and exhausted is no way to be at Con.

In fact, I cracked the code to having a relaxing day at Comic-Con: leave everything at home.

Usually at Comic-Con, I have a shoulder bag with me, to stuff away all the items I buy throughout the day. Not today. I left the bag at home, with the intention of buying absolutely nothing today.

It was liberating!

I spent the con walking through the hall and checking out the sights, and really soaking everything in. There is a freedom in not making any purchases at the Con, the internal dialogue changes from, “do I want to buy this?” to “is this cool?”

So, I spent the day looking at statues and toys, indie and small press books, making a note of anything that was cool, and that I want to check out again later in the weekend.

The Marshmallow Gun is real, and it’s at Comic-Con

I made the usual stops, to see Super Real Graphics, and to stop by to see Steve Bryant (Athena Voltaire), Chris Murrin and James Hefron (Law Dog Comics).

Even with a free day to soak it all in, I only made it through about half of the convention floor. In my mind, the convention is divided into thirds. The topmost portion is artists alley and illustrators. The middle third is the “Maelstrom”, the portion of the floor that is filled with all the big media, movie studios, TV, etc. the last third is comics, and it starts with the big publisher booths, and then becomes the small press area and comic dealers. On Thursday, I only made it through the comic area, visiting publishers, small press, and dealers.

I also managed to get to the Sergio and Mark show, a panel that had Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Stan Sakai talking about their comics and cartoons, their time in the business, and with a lot of since, heartfelt appreciation for the fans of their work. It was a great break from the chaos of the show, and a great look at some great history and stories from the past.

On Thursday night I headed over to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund party. They had it at the same place as last year, and it was a great party, as usual. A bunch of the folks I usually hang out with at the con were there, and plenty of people to meet and mingle with. Most interestingly, I met Matt Waite, who did the 8-Bit Valiant covers. We may be hearing more from him in an OTV episode coming your way soon.

It was a long day, and as always, a fun day. You can’t beat Con.

The plan for Friday is to start in artist alley and repeat the same thing as Thursday, just on the opposite side of the convention. I’ve got a panel or two lined up, and some folks to meet up with. Onwards to Friday!

Usually, I’m prepared. I have lists. I have schedules. I have an agenda.

Of course, there are a few things on the agenda for the weekend: the Zombie Run, the Valiant panel, poker night with the folks from the Valiant Fans forum; but that’s about it.

This year, which is different from previous years, I don’t have a list of panels to attend, no list of exclusives to buy, no particular artists to see, no books to get signed, no sketches to get.

This is how I know that Con has begun

I am, in a sense, free. Free to wander around and check out the con.

Pre-Con

One of the best parts of the con is Pre-Con. This is the time on Wednesday afternoon before the con starts, as everyone is arriving in to town and picking up their badges.

This is the time when you go grab lunch with a friend and wash it down with a beer or two, then have another drink as more friends show up to meet you.

Usually, this also helps settle the pre-con jitters, that anxiety that builds up as you get closer to the time the doors open, and the mad scramble to get the exclusives, get on artists sketch lists, etc, etc.

Without an agenda, however, there were no pre-con jitters, and I spent the afternoon at the Hyatt bar, hanging out with folks, and most importantly, running in to Atom! and getting my dang card back.

Preview Night!

In the past years, there has been a trend. Preview Night has become more and more crowded every year, until a year or two ago, it was just as busy as a typical Friday or Saturday at the con. There wasn’t any “preview” in preview night, it was just a fifth day of the convention.

This year, however, preview night felt how it did the first time I came to Comic-Con, back in 2008. The overwhelming crowds weren’t there, and the floor was navigable. Even in the “maelstrom”, that portion of the convention around halls D and E, where all of the big media and movie studios are located, was uncrowned enough to walk through.

With an open floor before me, I spent the evening cruising around the convention, getting me bearings, and seeing what there was.

I stopped at the CBLDF booth to renew my membership and pick up a couple of the Quantum & Woody #1 variants that were for sale there.

Other than that, I walked the floor, saw what was there, bought a big ol’ Omnibus hardcover that was on sale for 1/3 price (X-Statix!), and took it all in.

Maybe it was just the lower amount of people at the con last night, but the whole convention felt a little more subdued than in previous years. The giant booths weren’t quite as giant, the spectacle wasn’t quite as spectacular, and the craziness wasn’t quite as crazy.

Of course, I could be wrong, and it could just be because there weren’t quite as many people there. I guess we’ll find out on Thursday.

Preview Night Convention Floor

]]>http://onlythevaliant.com/2013/07/san-diego-comic-con-preview-night-review/feed/1Quantum & Woody – The Original Series Full Reviewhttp://onlythevaliant.com/2013/07/quantum-woody-original-series-full-review/
http://onlythevaliant.com/2013/07/quantum-woody-original-series-full-review/#commentsWed, 17 Jul 2013 00:53:02 +0000http://onlythevaliant.com/?p=3678The alternate title of this post is:

“Give me back my card, B-word!”

Let me explain.

Last weekend, the good folks at Valiant and the good folks at Collector’s Paradise teamed up to put on a fantastic event, a Quantum & Woody release party. While everyone was waiting for James Asmus, Dinesh Shamdasani, and Atom! Freeman to show up, somebody asked me, “so, what’s with the goat?”

I then had to admit, I have never read the original Quantum & Woody run. I’ve read the first several issues, but that’s it.

When Atom! found this out, he revoked my card. Yes. Revoked.

I couldn’t go on living without my card, so I told Atom! I would have Quantum & Woody read by San Diego Comic-Con. That’s what this is, my “book report” to Atom!, having read the entire Acclaim run of Quantum & Woody.

The Beginning

To be clear, I have started to read Quantum & Woody in the past. I got about three or four issues in before it started to drag on me. What I noticed is that there is a lot of the same humor used over and over, and many of the jokes are repeated, or told in a another way. I think the first few issues are harder to read all in a row, rather than a month apart, as originally published. That’s what was tough to get through the first time around, the feeling that I was reading the same issue three times in a row, just with different details.

That started to change a bit with issue 4, the “noogie” issue. The humor started to change and develop, as the story moves beyond Woody and Eric’s bickering, breaks the fourth wall, makes fun of Ninjak, and more. Issue four starts to get a bit more to the meat of what makes Quantum & Woody a great series.

Issue four also starts to develop the idea of recurring jokes, like the use of “N-Word”, “B-Word”, “S-Word”, etc. The use of these pop up from time to time later on in the series, and it is always funny. I know this isn’t the first time we see a joke re-told, it really started with the “we’re not a couple” that Eric and Woody repeatedly say, but this is the issue where the use of joke repetition really started to be funny to me.

Super Heroes?

After reading the first four issues, I was kinda left wondering if Eric and Woody actually had any super powers. I know they dissolve into energy if they don’t klang their wrist bands together, but beyond that, they don’t really use exhibit any super powers.

Issue five starts us on the super hero path, with them stopping a hostage robbery, and seeing them actually use their powers. We also have Bat Man introduced, who will be pretty important later, even if he is re-named Taylor 88 in the next issue.

This leads to the first big turn-around in the series in issue 6, which is that David Warrant is not dead after all, he has super powers, and was trying to stop the reactor from operating (which gave Q&W their quantum powers). The quest that Q&W go on to figure out who David Warrant is, and what he’s up to provides some great humor over the next couple issues, with Woody’s woodchuck outfit, and Woody trying to sell their rights to make a Batman-esque TV show.

All of this reaches the big climax in issue 8 when, while thwarting the bomb/hostage crisis in the tunnel, Woody takes matters in to his own hands and sacrifices himself to get the van full of explosives away from people.

This is the moment when the series started to mean a whole lot more to me.

In this moment, we see Woody be heroic, and far more than his usual wise-cracking, slacking self. In this moment, this series became far more than “just” a goofy comedy title, and became more about these two complex characters.

Issue nine takes this further, as we see flashbacks to Woody’s past, and his relationship with the hooker and junkie, Lucy, and how he lost her. At the same time, Eric is poking around with the Troublemakers, and this leads to the great conclusion, with Eric being revived, but only while Eric stumbles on to the delicate work to reform Woody’s body, resulting in the great body switch-a-roo.

Woody & Quantum

This part of the series may have the most humor of the entire series to date, as Eric and Woody switch bodies. Of course, the most hilarious part of this, as I was promised by others when I committed to this re-read, was the bathroom scene. Eric and Woody are in each others bodies, how do they go to the bathroom? I won’t say any more, because it is hilarious.

The body switch gets played out in many ways, all of which are hilarious. The haircuts, the outfits, the heart condition all play out with a lot of humor. The heart condition, however, leads to a bit of tragic past on Eric’s part, that he was not able to stay in the military, and was forced out.

The worst of this, though, is that when Eric’s childhood love Amy Fishbein returns, we learned that she had a fling with Woody, which Eric never knew about. This never got the play that I expected from this revelation, but it may occur later in the series.

We also get another tragic turn as, right at the end of issue 13, Magnum comes back and kills Taylor 88 to send a message to Q&W. This is, of course, not good.

Goat: H.A.E.D.U.S.

Quantum & Woody pros know that you read The Goat one-shot before you read Magnum Force. Which I didn’t know until I was a third of the way through Magnum Force.

We also finally get the answer to the question, “what’s up with the goat?” The Goat first appears in issue three of Quantum & Woody, when Woody finds the goat and decides to keep it. Until this issue, it seems that it is just a Goat

This issue really epitomizes something I dislike about this series, which is that the storytelling is choppy and unclear at times. As I’m writing this, I just read the issue. It focuses on Agent Sheridan, aka Tempest, as she tracks down the Goat. The Goat found some kid who has some disease, and there are other people after him and there’s another guy who might be a good guy or bad guy who talks about goats and trolls and a bunch of other stuff, and none of it made a whole lot of sense on the first read.

I get that the Goat can jump around from dimension to dimension and through wormholes and stuff, and that’s about it.

Not to downplay a goat that can make portals to jump anywhere, but you know.

Back to Magnum Force.

Magnum Force

Terrence Magnum killed Taylor at the end of issue 13, and this drives Woody nuts, so he invades Magnum’s stronghold, they get captured, the Goat shows up then leaves, they fight this War Locke dude, escape a James Bond death trap, get in a fight, and abandon their quantum bands.

Of course, it turns out that’s what Magnum wanted all along, and they fell into the trap, but won in the end. Overall, Magnum Force was more of an action slugfest, not quite as remarkable as the preceding nine issues.

The very end, however, has the most tragic bit of the story. Quantum & Woody… is cancelled.

15 Months Later

This was actually pretty clever, from a publishing point of view. 15 months after Quantum & Woody was cancelled with issue 17, it was brought back with issue 32, which is the issue Q&W would have been on if it hadn’t been cancelled. Issue 32 was published, then they started back with issue 18, picking up where they left off, with the intention of telling the story that leads to the events of issue 32. Even more clever, issue 32 is part three of a four-part story arc. That is pretty cool.

Issue 32 plays up the fact that issues 18 through 31 were never published, including notes referring to earlier events in issue 18, 22, 24, and 30. Woody has become Doctor Eclipse, and evil villain that might destroy the world, and Eric has a new “Woody” in the tradition of Robin. This issue, and this whole concept was really well executed, and plenty entertaining. The sad end of this is that only four more issues were published, and we don’t get to see the entire story leading to the events of issue 32.

Back To The Regularly Scheduled Program

Issue 18 picks right up where issue 17 left off, with Q&W finding out that their cancellation has been undone. They are, however, powerless, and on the run from the French Police.

Once out of jail, they both kind of wander aimlessly, and deal with their urges to remain superheroes, even without their super powers. Issues 18, 19, and 20 are a bit slow, as Eric and Woody meander around, and David Warrant meets some other super-folk on the moon and lives with them.

At the same time as Quantum & Woody are still trying to be heroes in their own ways, Toyo Harada is trying to use Eric to steal Warrant’s power, or something, and there is some meta-commentary about the Marvel Knights line as Woody tries to sue “Marble” comics over his likeness in a book they are publishing, called “Dark Kitty” (a play on Black Panther, also written by Christopher Priest around this same time), or something.

These last few issues feel like they are building towards some larger event, and refer to events in Solar and Unity 2000 to explain what is going on. I feel like I am missing something by not knowing the details of the rest of the Acclaim line being published at this time.

Zeroed Out

I don’t want Atom! to pull some shenanigans, and claim I didn’t read it “all”, because I made no mention of issue zero. There is a zero issue, which was published around the time of issue six or seven, as far as I can tell.

It makes the whole body-switching scene make a little more sense, since Eric finds out that Woody slept with Amy Fishbein, so Eric already knows when Amy comes back for more, thinking that it is actually Woody in Woody’s body (and not Eric, which it currently is, and yes, this body switching stuff is confusing to write about).

This issue contains a short story about, as usual, an act of crime fighting gone horribly wrong, and how Eric and Woody’s quarreling gets them in to even more trouble. The rest of the issue is just background matter, character design sketches and studies, stuff like that.

Wrap It Up

Quantum & Woody is great. I should have read it sooner. I do still feel like the first few issues are a bit slow and repeptitive, but there are events in those issues that set up stories that happen a year later, which shows quite a bit of long-sight for the series.

The height of the series is issues 5 through 13. These have the funniest, and the most heart-felt, character driven moments of the entire series. Those nine issues are the best of this run, and a must read for any fan of the old Valiant material, or those just looking to read some of the classic material that has inspired the series that just launched last week.

Quantum & Woody is at its best when it digs in to the characters, reveals what makes them tick, what motivates them, then crashes those things together to make a hilarious book.

I know Quantum & Woody is fondly remembered by a lot of fans as the best of the Acclaim years, and after crashing through this series with reckless abandon, I can see why.

The next epic expansion of the Valiant Universe starts this November in a new ongoing series by comics superstar Patrick Zircher (Captain America, Thor: Ages of Thunder) and Harvey Award nominee Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Team 7)!

There’s a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true. As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must embrace the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But is the mantle of Shadowman a blessing or a curse? And what is the true cost of his otherworldly power?

The rebirth of a Valiant icon starts right here when Shadowman strikes this November!

$3.99 US/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE NOVEMBER 7th!

And here’s the rest of the covers to number 1:

Pullbox Variant Cover

Johnson Variant Cover

Sienkiewicz Variant Cover

Back in the 90s, I was never too excited about Shadowman. I liked the first 6 or so issues of the series, but I actually liked it a bit less when Bob Hall took over and ran with his run on the book. Shadowman was about the middle of the pack for me. Better than Armorines, HARDCorps and Secret Weapons, but not as good as the rest of the A-listers.

That said, Valiant has sure put some heavies on this book. Justin Jordan is coming off a huge initial foray into writing comics with Luthor Strode, and Patrick Zircher is off the hook. Have you seen the previews of Zircher’s Shadowman art? Check it out if you haven’t. It might be the best looking art in a Valiant book yet.

Ultimately, I think this book is going to come down to character. Who is Jack Boniface in this incarnation, and what makes him tick?

Just like with Bloodshot, where the Acclaim version of the character is mixed with the classic Valiant version of the character, I expect this Shadowman to be a mix of Jack Boniface (the classic Valiant Shadowman) with Michael LeRoi (the Acclaim Shadowman).

The premise of this book seems pretty simple from the solicitation, a guy fights monsters and zombies in New Orleans. I think we’ll have to wait and see in Novemeber what else is going to be in this book to see what more this becomes.

This solicitation has intrigued me, but not captured me. I’m waiting till November to find out more.

Of course, I’m sure I’ll love it. Like I’ve loved all the other Valiant comics.

Archer & Armstrong make their last stand against The Sect high in the Himalayas!

Every clan of The Sect has gathered together for the first time in millennia to harness the unthinkable, sanity-shattering destruction of the mythical Book. But one piece is still missing – and Obadiah Archer has it! If he turns it over, The Sect will give him back his family. If he refuses, the man called Armstrong dies! PLUS: The true nature of Archer’s powers revealed! AND, on top of everything else, witness the debut of the Valiant Universe’s next superstar hero – only in this issue!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE NOVEMBER 14th!

Doe Variant Cover

Insane-O-Rama!

That’s really the only way I can explain this book.

I’ve noticed that Archer & Armstrong seems to be the book that old school Valiant fans like the least, but that everyone else likes the most. I love it.

I’m inclined to like the kind of books that Fred Van Lente writes, however, and Clayton Henry is the perfect artist to illustrate his stories. I like the strange, humorous way that everything plays out in Van Lente’s books.

This sounds like it is the last issue of the first arc, with Archer and Armstrong’s initial confrontation with the Sect and The One Percent coming to a head. This book promises a lot of cool, crazy storytelling in each solicitation we’ve seen.

If the stroytelling continues how it did in issue 1, I’m gonna enjoy the heck out of this comic.

Bloodshot is finally free of the memories that have haunted him since his awakening – but now even greater mysteries remain. Who was he before he was transformed into a walking weapon of mass destruction? And does he have a real family out there somewhere? Unfortunately, the only man with the answers is the former mastermind of Project Rising Spirit, Dr. Emmanuel Kuretich –-and he’s just struck a devil’s bargain with Bloodshot. “Destroy your creators and I’ll reveal everything.” Well, almost everything…

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE NOVEMBER 14th!

The tricky thing with a character like Bloodshot is what to do once the amnesiac remembers everything. Wolverine became a far less interesting character once he got all his memories back. Will the same thing happen to Bloodshot? Also, there is the flip side – how long can you string the story along without revealing anything? It’s a tough balancing act./p>

We recently recorded a podcast episode (OTV 81, coming this Sunday), and one of the concerns that some of the OTV crew had with Bloodshot #2 is that it brings in more mystery, without providing much answers. We need to get some answers to be satisfied. Too many answers though, and the story might lose its drive./p>

I’ll be curious to see how this title walks this line. It looks like there may have been some answers by the time this issue is in our hands, but that Bloodshot is still looking for other answers./p>

I’m loving this title though, this Bloodshot is very different than the classic bloodshot stories, but this is very cool.

After a crushing defeat at the hands of his would-be mentor, Peter Stanchek lies critically wounded and the only person who can save him is the person that hates him the most – his childhood love Kris Hathaway. As Harada’s Eggbreaker strike force closes in, the helpless Peter wonders if he is going to find forgiveness at Kris’s door –-or unbridled vengeance. But when Faith returns as the superhero she’s always dreamed of being, the game is going to change for everyone involved…

As the most daring series in comics enters its staggering second act, find out why this is the book that Comic Book Resources says “feels new in a way that few comics about characters with superpowers manage these days.”

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE NOVEMBER 21st!

Clark Variant Cover

As excited as this solicitation makes me for issue 6, it makes me more excited for issue 5. I want to see this showdown between Pete and Harada that leaves Pete in such a critical state. That is gonna be some good comic book story telling.

At San Diego Comic-Con, both Josh Dysart and Warren Simons addressed the issue of what happened between Pete and Kris, and how Pete used and invaded her mind (if not more). They didn’t say anything definititive, and asked us to wait and see how it plays out in the story, and to see how they handle it.

It looks like they will be addressing that here in this issue, and as physically explosive as I expect the showdown between Pete and Harada to be, I expect the showdown between Pete and Kris to be equally emotionally explosive.

Plus, Faith. Looks like the old gang’s getting back together.

X-O Manowar 7 Cover

X-O MANOWAR #7Written by ROBERT VENDITTIArt by LEE GARBETTCover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE

X-O Manowar vs. Ninjak. To the victor – Earth!

Agents of the alien race known as The Vine have been living in secret among us for centuries and now they’ve just been activated for one final mission – purge the Earth of all human life! An invasion fleet is on its way and the only weapon in existence powerful enough to defeat it is the X-O Manowar armor. But first, Aric of Dacia must survive his latest encounter with Ninjak, the covert operative and master weapons specialist charged with taking him down. The stakes are raised and revelations abound in the latest issue of the smash hit series that has IGN declaring, “This is X-O Manowar done for this generation…and it is awesome.”

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE NOVEMBER 21st!

Robert Venditti promised us that plot points set out in issue 1 will come back throughout the series. It looks like at one of those plot points (creepy Vine Baby, anyone?) will be coming up.

This is part 3 of the X-O Manowar v. Ninjak storyline, and we haven’t even seen part 1 yet (other than a few X-O Manowar #5 preview pages), so it’s hard to comment on this.

Will Ninjak be working for the Vine? Will he turn against his Vine masters?

I have no idea, but one thing does seem to be promised by this solicitation, VINE INVASION. That should be a pretty good bit of war coming. Sounds good to me.

Looks like X-O will continue to be the most awesome of the Valiant titles.

Let’s talk about that cover. How cool is that? It reminds me of the type of cover Jim Steranko would do for an old Nick Fury comic. It is reminiscent of that 60s spy style. Very cool!

]]>http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/08/thoughts-on-valiants-november-solicitations/feed/11Going Gold, A Youth’s Storyhttp://onlythevaliant.com/2012/08/going-gold-youths-story/
http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/08/going-gold-youths-story/#commentsThu, 02 Aug 2012 14:51:31 +0000http://onlythevaliant.com/?p=2713Back when I was a kid, I loved comic books. It started with G.I. Joe, and I moved on to X-Men and Wolverine. Mostly, Chris Claremont and Larry Hama are to blame for me loving comics.

I heard about this “Unity” thing that was coming out one summer. It sounded cool, so I picked up a couple issues, and a couple issues of some of the comics that came right before it.

I was hooked. I mowed the lawn and trimmed the bushes about a dozen times in the next couple weeks to earn enough money to buy all of the Unity chapters. I spent a lot of money buying back issues of Solar, and a few others that I could afford. I bought what I could.

I heard about these fandangoled “gold books”, and I wanted one. I didn’t know what to do, so I did what any 12 year old would do. Lose all self respect and do something goofy.

I wanted to show that I was a big enough fan to get one of the gold books, so I convinced a friend into dressing up like Archer, and I dressed up as Armstrong, and I set up all my Valiant comics on display and took some pictures.

Me (on the left) and my friend Victor (on the right)

I wrote a letter to Valiant telling them about how much I love their comics, and a month later I got a package in the mail.

I got that note in the package, along with an Archer & Armstrong #0 Gold.

I was as excited as could be! Back at this time, Archer & Armstrong #0 Gold was a $125 book. There was no possible way that I would be able to buy one. To have one given to me by my favorite comic company, that was exciting.

It was the pride of my collection. Back then, I couldn’t complete all my pre-Unity runs. I was 12, and couldn’t afford $80 for Harbinger 1.

Eventually, I completed my Valiant collection, and managed to get a lot of other nice books. No book beats the sentimental value of that original Archer & Armstrong #0 gold though.

In light of Valiant’s recent gold book announcement, I thought it was time to drag out this story to post up here.

Oh, and of course, here’s the gold book:

The Archer & Armstrong #0 Gold I received from Valiant back in 1992

]]>http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/08/going-gold-youths-story/feed/4Thoughts on Valiant Comics October Solicitationshttp://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/thoughts-valiant-comics-october-solicitations/
http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/thoughts-valiant-comics-october-solicitations/#commentsFri, 27 Jul 2012 16:30:42 +0000http://onlythevaliant.com/?p=2605The solicitations for all of Valiant’s September comics are out, it’s time to take a look at them and note the things that look particularly cool about these.

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #3

Written by Fred Van LenteArt by Clayton HenryCover by Arturo LozziCharacter Design Cover by David Aja

Fnord!

Those email forwards Grandma sends you? ALL TRUE. Every lurid cover of every supermarket tabloid? ALL TRUE. That impossible-to-read GeoCities site rambling on about truthers, birthers and black ops alien greys working for the U.N.? ALL TRUE. The Sect has dragged a curtain of confusion across the inner workings of your world, but fear not, the conspiracy-busters Archer & Armstrong are here to deliver Truth in the form of ass-kicking! (And ass-kicking in the form of ass-kicking.) Our heroes’ newfound friendship will face its greatest test as they battle The Sisters of Perpetual Darkness – the Nunjas (“ninja” + “nun”) who guard Rome’s blasphemous secrets. Obadiah Archer thought he had been betrayed by his family before, but nothing can prepare him for this!

Also: the existence of God will be proven for all time. Or disproven. One of the two.

Thoughts on the Archer & Armstrong #3 Solicitation

Sleep a little more soundly knowing that you can see the fnord. If you can see it, you are on the inside. And apparently, this means you won’t need an ass-kicking from Archer and Armstrong.

This solicit promises to get us deep into the story, real quick. It looks like the story will quickly get through the “Hi, I’m Archer, Hi, I’m Armstrong, let’s team up” buddy-buddy stuff, and get right to the meat.

And what tasty meat this looks like, roasting on it’s spit, sizzling with succulent Nunjas. In the past incarnation of Archer & Armstrong, the evil nuns were just cranky old dudes dressed as nuns. Hopefully we’ll get some nunja hotties this time around. I’d like to see an Archer with confused feelings towards some hot nuns that are trying to chop-suey him.

We haven’t even seen this book yet, but it looks to be pretty darn fun.

BLOODSHOT #4

Written by Duane SwierczynskiArt by Manuel GarciaCover by Arturo LozziCharacter Design Cover by David Aja

They call you Project Bloodshot, but you had a real name once.

You were born, raised, maybe even loved. And at some point, some evil bastards filled your head with dozens of false memories to motivate you, restrain you, control you. And oh, what they made you do in the name of national security… But what if one of those memories wasn’t false? What if you had a real wife and a child somewhere in the world who thought you were dead? Wouldn’t you go through seven kinds of violent hell to find them? Congrats. Your wish is about to be granted…

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE OCTOBER 10th

Thoughts on the Bloodshot #4 Solicitation

I think the big question on everyone’s mind after reading the first issue of Bloodshot is what is the over-under for number of times Bloodshot will get blown to bits in this issue?

This series started out with a bang, with a well-received first issue. It set up a lot of plot, a lot of action, and a lot of twists.

This solicitation is promising some pathos, and we may get to the core of who Bloodshot is, and maybe, some tragedy. Whatever Bloodshot finds down the path promised by this solicitation, I do not think it will have a happy ending. Just a hunch.

Or maybe, this entire solicitation is a false implant by Project: Rising Spirit to create a false motivation to buy the book.

(I’ll buy it anyway, even if it is)

HARBINGER #5

Written by Josh DysartArt by Khari EvansCover by Mico SuayanCharacter Design Cover by David Aja

Humanity’s most powerful psionic, Pete Stanchek, has been run to ground. His few friends and family are gone. He is loved is by no one. At the nadir of his brief, 18-year existence, he has been drugged, deceived and deluded by a corporate master. But now he’s finally had enough. Tonight, the human race will find out exactly how powerful he is. Tonight, the boy who has nothing will go to war against the man who has everything. And soon the Valiant Universe will discover that anything can end – even the world.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE OCTOBER 17th

Thoughts on the Harbinger #5 Solicitation

I want to know.

I want to know what will push Pete to break with Harada, and start his Harbinger war against the man that runs it all.

This is the last issue of the first story arc, and from the solicitation, it looks like we will see quite a showdown with Harada. In issue 2, we saw what Pete is capable of, and it will be cool to see Pete, young, reckless, and not as in control of his power, unleash against the older, wiser, fully in control Harada.

This issue should be the final piece in establishing the relationship between Pete and Harada, and establish the nature of their conflict.

I’m loving Harbinger, it is reaching out and grabbing me, compelling me to read it. I can’t wait.

X-O MANOWAR #6

Written by Robert VendittiArt by Lee GarbettCover by Doug BraithwaiteVariant Cover by Patrick ZircherCharacter Design Cover by Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic

Ninjak vs. X-O Manowar: Round II!

Aric of Dacia has bonded with the most powerful weapon in the universe, but his command of the sentient X-O Manowar armor will lead him to cross swords with Ninjak, the world’s most skilled weapons specialist. Hired by members of The Vine hidden deep within Earth’s governments, Ninjak has been sent to bring back the Manowar armor at any cost. It’s raw power versus stealth and cunning in the second installment of the espionage-edged thriller that pits two of Valiant’s most popular heroes against each other – to the death.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.ON SALE OCTOBER 17th

Thoughts on the X-O Manowar #6 Solicitation

To the death!

It’s hard to say why I want to read this issue other than to say, “yes please!” I already explained my excitement for the return of Ninjak, and I am looking forward to more. I want to see them fight, learn more about who Ninjak is in this universe, and see more of Aric adjusting to the modern day.

Yes, please!

VALIANT MASTERS: BLOODSHOT VOL. 1 HC

BLOOD OF THE MACHINE

Written by Kevin VanHookArt by Don Perlin, Andrew Wendel and Ted HalstedCover by Barry Windsor-Smith

The first in an all-new library of Valiant classics!

Collected for the first time anywhere, the best-selling title of the 90s is back! Re-presenting the first arc of his original adventures in the VH1 Valiant Universe, Bloodshot comes armed to the teeth with bullets, nanites – and questions. With all of New York as his battlefield, Bloodshot wages a one-man war for the secrets to his past. But with the whole of New York’s mafia underground hot on his tail, he’ll soon realize that some questions are better left unanswered! With appearances from Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, Rai and more, no fan can miss this essential piece of Valiant history! Collecting BLOODSHOT (1994) #1-8 and featuring AN ALL-NEW, NEVER–BEFORE-SEEN STORY by the original creative team of Kevin VanHook and Don Perlin.

$24.99/Rated T+/200 pgs.ON SALE OCTOBER 24th

Thoughts on the Bloodshot Hardcover Solicitation

I wasn’t expecting this so soon.

I fully expected to wait six months or so for the first new collection of old material. That said, it makes complete sense to offer this as a hardcover collection.

Valiant hardcovers on my shelf

Back when Valiant was a lawsuit-fighting company, instead of a comic-making company, they started releasing hardcover collections, first of Harbinger 0-7, then X-O Manowar 0-6, and finally Archer & Armstrong 0-6. This seems to follow along with that, giving us a hardcover collection of the original material that the fourth of the current titles is based on.

These first issues of Bloodshot set him up as a “secret agent” of sorts, and he went after Rising Spirit, and his former mob buddies, the people that turned him over to the project to become Bloodshot.

Just like in all of the first three hardcovers, we also get an all-new Bloodshot story by the creative team that worked on the original. The new stories in the Harbinger, X-O Manowar, and Archer & Armstrong hardcovers followed in the old continuity, and I expect this to be the same. I’m looking forward to seeing Kevin VanHook and Don Perlin working on Bloodshot again, and showing us a new story set in the classic Valiant Universe.

I do wonder about the trade dress on this hardcover, and how it will compare to the original. The shelf freak in me wants to know how this will look next to my other Valiant hardcover books. No matter what, I’ll be buying this. When I got around to reading all of the original Valiant material, this stuff made me love the Bloodshot character. I can’t wait to get my hands on this hardcover, re-read these stories, and read the new story.

I hope they do a Shadowman hardcover next, and please, oh please, let it collect up to issue 12, to include the introduction of Master Darque, and the fantastic “Blood Runner” storyline.

]]>http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/thoughts-valiant-comics-october-solicitations/feed/6SDCC 2012: Sunday and the Epic Purchasehttp://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/sdcc-2012-sunday-and-the-epic-purchase/
http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/sdcc-2012-sunday-and-the-epic-purchase/#commentsWed, 18 Jul 2012 13:00:12 +0000http://onlythevaliant.com/?p=2442Sunday at Con is always mainly a shopping day for me, and a day to take care of those last few odds and ends.

Sketchbook Addition

As usual, I told him I liked his work on Moriarty, and liked that character, but left it up to him.

I got this great Moriarty drawing, and the nicest touch, the banana peel that Moriarty is about to slip on.

Another great addition to my book!

Esad Ribic and the Epic Purchase

When I got to the convention hall on Sunday, I had a pocket full of cash, and I fully expected to spend it on a couple nice EC Science Fiction books. I was making my way through the dealers, taking notes on who had what, and I saw a sign hanging on the booth of an art dealer:

“Esad Ribic, Signing and Commissions”

Esad, of course has done some awesome covers for Valiant, like the cover to X-O Manowar #1, the 1:50 variant to Bloodshot #1, and the upcoming Bloodshot #3.

I walked over, told him hello, told him I liked his art, especially his Valiant covers. He was working on commissions, at the time he was drawing on one of those blank Marvel sketch covers.

Bloodshot 1 Esad Ribic cover

He had a portfolio full of prints he was selling, and a lot of his Marvel covers were hanging on the wall behind him, a lot of X-Force stuff.

That’s when I saw them.

On the table behind Esad was the art for the covers to Bloodshot #1 and Bloodshot #3. I asked to see them, they are stunning. Absolutely beautiful. I told him I had to ask, how much were they?

He told me the price. It was a lot. A lot more than I’ve paid for anything comic book related, by several times. I pulled out my phone, and started checking my bank account balances, credit lines, etc., to see how much I could scrap together. I told Esad sorry for hanging out so much, and he was very friendly. It was no problem to him, and it gave him someone to talk to.

He mentioned that he is from Croatia, so I introduced myself, “Stravo, ja sum Sean” (Hello, my name is Sean – Blood can correct my spelling). He gets excited by that, and I tell him that I dated a girl from former Yugoslavia back in high school and college.

Just when I was thinking I might be able to do it, The dealer, who actually sells all the art, came over and asked what I was thinking about. I pointed and told him I like this cover, and Esad told me it was X amount.

He looked a little frustrated, and said, “I’m sorry, I already have another offer higher than that. You would have to beat that offer to get it”. The price he gave me was another 30% higher than I was considering.

It was a lot, and I told him I was very interested, but I have to really think about it, and see if I can make it work.

Smoke Break

Just then, Esad pulls out a pack of smokes and tells the dealer he is going for a smoke break. I look at him and mention, “man, if I buy this art, I’m gonna need one of those afterwards.”

Esad asks, “do you have some?”

“Nope”, I say.

“Well, come on, I’ll give you one.”

Esad and I walked out to the front of the hall, he gives me a cigarette, pulls one out for himself, and we just got to chat for a bit while sharing a smoke. I asked him about travel, what shows he likes to do. He complained about all these sketch covers that people were giving him for commissions, because he hates the paper and it is hard to do the type of work he likes to do on them. We talked about art in general, and the stuff that interested him. We didn’t really talk about the cover art for sale, he just said, “if you can afford it and want it, then buy it. If it is difficult to the point that it’s not fun anymore, then don’t buy it, because it’s supposed to be fun.”

He was incredibly friendly, easy going, and is a no-nonsense kind of guy. While we were out there, I decided I was going to buy the cover art.

Pulling The Trigger

I had to transfer money between my accounts, and split it between a debit card, a credit card, and cash, but I made it work. It was just on the border of the amount that I could actually make work.

Here’s me and Esad Ribic with the cover art after I made the purchase:

Me and Esad Ribic with the Bloodshot #1 original art

I’ll be eating ramen for a couple months, but I made it work. And now I have this:

Bloodshot 1 Original Painted Cover Art by Esad Ribic

I felt like everything came together in just the right way. I talked with Jonesy about this after I made the purchase, and I didn’t realize it while I was considering buying it, but there were so many perfect coincidences that led to this.

I had no idea Esad Ribic would be at the show, I only ran into him and his art dealer by chance. I hadn’t bought anything yet, so I still had my cash. It was my favorite cover of my favorite Valiant character, and it is a fully painted piece, so I get a full, complete piece of artwork with the purchase. Most of all, I got to spend some time with Esad, and get to know him a bit, and from that I felt a greater connection with the piece of art.

As I was walking through the convention with this, I checked in my portfolio about every 15 minutes to make sure it was still there. Still can’t quite believe I’ve got this, and I’m thrilled that I do.

On Saturday, I think everyone was a bit worn out from the previous days, so it was much mellower. Still, plenty of good convention action going on.

CBLDF and Duane Swierczynski

I started out the day with a visit to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund table, where Duane Swierczynski was signing copies of Bloodshot, and Atom! Freeman was giving away copies of the Valiant Free Comic Book Day Book.

When Atom! is working, you know it. As soon as the line dwindled down, he started the yell again, “Free Comics! Get them signed by the writer of Bloodshot!” a minute later, Boom! There’s a line.

While I wasn’t able to make it back to the CBLDF booth, I know that Josh Dysart also made a signing appearance.

Support Valiant! Support the CBLDF!

New Sketchbook Art

A couple years ago, I finally started a sketch book. I didn’t want the same kind of book as everyone else though, full of heroic characters in heroic poses. I opted for something a little more interesting, and… strange.

Lil Vader on the Death Star by Eric Jones

I asked my buddy Dave Dwonch to start the book out, and he drew a Not Safe For Life drawing of Doctor Doom that is… well, just ask to see it when you see me at a convention.

I wanted to get a couple drawings in my book this year, and while in the Image booth, ran into the creators of Danger Club. Perfect. I am really enjoying Danger Club, and the art style is great.

I asked Eric Jones, the artist, to put an addition into my book, and told him that it was his choice. I like the Danger Club characters, but I gave him the liberty to draw whatever seemed interesting to him.

The Vader drawing at right is the result, it fits perfectly in my book, and fits, and expands, the theme I’m going for.

I dropped my sketch book off with another artist as well, though I’ll share that sketch in my Sunday wrap up.

Costumes and Crazies

Just a few of the costumes and such that I snapped throughout the day.

Cutest Costume Award

Gnarliest Costume Award

Dark Helmet!

Sonic Dancing Alone

The Crew

We recorded our Friday/Saturday wrap up on a nice sunny grassy lawn outside of Hall H.

Saturday was definitely a much mellower day for all of us. We were all worn down, and ready for a much more mellow day and night.

]]>http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/sdcc-2012-saturday/feed/4SDCC 2012: Friday And The Valiant Comics Panelhttp://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/sdcc-2012-friday-valiant-comics-panel/
http://onlythevaliant.com/2012/07/sdcc-2012-friday-valiant-comics-panel/#commentsTue, 17 Jul 2012 01:41:51 +0000http://onlythevaliant.com/?p=2385I’m starting to write this Saturday morning (and finishing writing it Monday afternoon, where did the time go?), and it is strange for me to think that yesterday’s events all happened less than a day ago.

I said this on our first Comic-Con wrap up episode, Con is like the Lost Land. It is its own time, and time really seems to go by differently here.

I don’t even remember what I did at the show yesterday morning. I know I strolled over to the show mid-morning, and that I walked around doing something, but cannot remember what. I think I might have walked through artist alley, or was that the day before? I might have made a pass through the small press area, but maybe that was another day. I know I got a copy of Youngblood signed by Rob Liefield, but cannot remember if that was Friday or Thursday.

There are a couple things about the day that I remember VERY prominently.

The Walking Dead Escape

Intense.

The Walking Dead Escape was a zombie obstacle course set up at Petco Park. It was part obstacle course, but part just, well, recreation of the Zombie Apocalypse.

At some points there were obstacles that had to be climbed over, under, etc, with zombies reaching out to grab you and infect you.

This loving couple came prepared

In some places there was just zombies roaming around, and we were forced to hide, run, and evade them.

Within moments of the event starting, we were right there, and we were running for our lives. It brought us right into the scenario. There’s nothing like jogging down a hall with a pack of people, have someone yell, because they see a zombie running after them from behind, and everyone yelling and taking off at a sprint.

The course was hard. We were huffing and puffing by the end. Elveen was one of the first people out, and I was right behind him. Our friend Greg finished a couple minutes behind us.

I didn’t survive. I got infected somewhere along the course, and got ushered into the decontamination room where people yelled at me that I had a choice, I was gonna turn into a zombie, or I could put a bullet in my head.

I chose the bullet, and made them look me in the eye while they pulled the trigger.

I’m still sore today from running this course. This was a highlight of the entire show for me.

Summer Of Valiant Panel

The Summer Of Valiant panel was on Friday from 4pm to 5pm, and it was steller. I live tweeted the event, so if you are reading this article shortly after it is published, you should still be able to scroll down our twitter feed to get almost everything that was discussed. I was tweeting like a mad man! Also, Jonesy expertly video taped the panel, and we should have video of that available soon.

Here’s some of the highlights:

I was in my Pete Stanchek costume

When asked about Ninjak appearing in X-O manowar, Rob Venditti and Warren Simons explained that the idea was hatched at C2E2 in Chicago this year. They don’t want the meeting to be contrived, and Rob feels that if a man suddenly appeared on Earth in the X-O armor, of course, Ninjak, the world’s leading weapons expert, would go after him.

When asked about crossovers, Warren answered that they want to establish the characters on their own before having big crossover events, and that story trumps all. They don’t want to force a big crossover event just for the sake of publishing a crossover.

Peter Cuneo, Valiant’s Chairman, was asked why he was interested in Valiant. He spoke for a while about the work that Dinesh Shamdasani and Jason Kothari did to clear up the property, and take care of all the legal work required to demonstrate that they owned all of the characters and material outright. When he found that that was the case, he became excited about building a character based comic book company. It was a very interesting look at the business side of things.

When asked about how many books they are likely to launch, Fred Pierce spoke about their plans. They decided to start with 4 titles, one a month. One a month makes it easier for retailers to absorb the orders into their current purchases, and it is still enough titles to be taken seriously. There will be a fifth book launched in 2012, and another next spring. The plan is to launch 4 books a year after that.

Someone asked about Peter Stanchek, and brought up the question of rape. Did he rape Kris? They were very careful with the answer, and did not answer it directly. Nearly everyone chimed in though. Joshua Dysart said that Pete is a screwed up kid, and has made a lot of bad decisions. The story will address those bad decisions, and it would be unethical not to address the fallout and ramifications of Pete’s decisions. That said, part of the story will be about redemption. Warren added that we should wait to see what is in the books, letting us know that those questions will be addressed. Rob Venditti chimed in, saying that one of the things he appreciated about Harbinger is that it requires that some questions be asked. It doesn’t just tell you what the story is and allow the reader to passively accept it.

X-O Manowar #1 Gold Logo

What about reprints of the classic books and the Gold Key characters. Could there ever be a reprint of Unity (perhaps in an oversized, absolute format edition please)? In response, they mentioned that they are discussing it internally, which seemed like a code word for not being able to comment at this time.

There was a question of diversity, and if there will be headlining characters that are female, and from different ethnic backgrounds. It sounds like they are establishing the existing characters now, many of which are white men, but are mindful of this.

Last of all, Dinesh Shamdasani made an announcement that the Gold Logo book program is back! the Classic Valiant had a great tradition of supporting the fans that supported them, and they plan to continue that tradition. Everyone in attendence recieved a gold logo version of X-O Manowar #1. There is no one way to receive one of these from Valiant, they will be used to reward fans and retailers that some way show they are doing something to show their love and support of Valiant Comics.

Valiant Trivia/Poker

For the last five years, a number of folks that know each other from the ValiantFans.com Forum have got together to play poker and play Elveen’s trivia game.

Atom! is a blur as he mixes the X-O Manowar Shots

For the last couple years, we’ve been joined by some guests from Valiant Entertainment. This year, Dinesh Shamdasani, Fred Pierce, Warren Simons, Atom! Freeman, and Hunter Gorrinson came to the party.

Dinesh won trivia (though I came in second), Warren and Fred won poker, and Atom! mixed the drinks.

Atom! had a special drink concoction called the “X-O Manowar”, it was Patron XO Cafe liquere, with a splash of Bailey’s Irish Creme on top. Delicious!

Last year, we asked a lot of questions. A lot. Fred and Dinesh said that we may have been “skeptical”, I let them know that we were merely “aggressively interested”. Last year, however there weren’t books. There wasn’t even an announcement of new comics. This year, we have Valiant Comics on the stands, and as a result, it was much more laid back. We didn’t ask a ton of questions, we were able to kick back and enjoy a fun night of comics and poker.

The OTV T-Shirt

We also have a tradition at the poker game, someone brings a stack of comics, and we all sign each copy, and they are numbered, and as the poker game proceeds, we take one of the signed, numbered comics, until the only the winner remains and gets number 1.

This year we used the Harbinger #1, 1:20 variant cover as the souvenir book, it looks pretty cool with all those signatures!

Last of all, Elveen surprised everyone with Only The Valiant t-shirts! I had no idea these were coming, what a cool surprise!

Interested in joining us next year? Get involved at the ValiantFans.com Forum, get to know all the folks there, and get out to San Diego!

Epic Friday

We dubbed Friday “Epic Friday”. I think you might have been able to see why. Walking Dead, Valiant Panel, and Poker/Trivia night.